


the devil you know

by iamsolarflare, xxenobiology



Series: 77-2 AU [5]
Category: Hermitcraft
Genre: Area 77, Gen, General Spooky Elements, Supernatural Elements, Tag wranglers stop tagging Hermitcraft as RPF challenge, faux mixed media
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 20:47:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 17,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29657076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamsolarflare/pseuds/iamsolarflare, https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxenobiology/pseuds/xxenobiology
Summary: In which plans continue to be in motion, several people run interference, and the escalation starts.
Relationships: None
Series: 77-2 AU [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2014771





	1. 4.1

**Author's Note:**

> hulloa, solar here! this fic has been backdated to match its original publishing date on Tumblr, which this time is actually less than a year ago! heck, it's less than HALF a year ago! with this, we're now caught up to 77-2 proper (with the exception of one minific that i'd like to keep as bonus content for now). as always, PLEASE don't hide Style; the different font uses are integral to this series.
> 
> if you want to read the aforementioned minific, or you want to read each fic as one long Google document (the preferred formatting, actually), you can find all current works on Tumblr under my blog @betweenlands. that's also one of two places you can go if you want to yell about it (my co-author, meanwhile, is @cheshire-vex).
> 
> original "featuring" section below.  
> \---  
> featuring: the source of all the impulse “scatter” jokes, kakujo goes apeshit, holy moly joseph hillseph has arrived, things pop off, hope you guys didn’t forget about cleo, and statistically at least two reunions!
> 
> content warnings for the 77-2 universe: passing mentions of permadeath, guns, psychic manipulation and memory issues, some moderate unreality, an uncertain ending, two whole curse words, kidnapping… 2!

Format - audio-video feed from Falsewell stealth drone overlooking the water tower.

The sun is setting behind the tower as Iskall sets himself up for the night; nearby, Cleo sits with her back against the wall, twirling a pen in one hand as she clutches a clipboard.

Iskall: So, what are you up here to ask about?

Cleo shrugs.

Cleo: Nothing. It gets lonely in the basement. Does it matter that much?

Iskall: You’re down there pretty frequently. Even when you don’t need to be.

Iskall raises an eyebrow as he picks up his thermos, pointedly swishing it around a couple times before taking a sip.

Iskall: I doubt phantomward takes _that_ long to make.

Cleo purses her lips.

Cleo: I have… other projects.

Iskall: Yeah. I’m sure. Speaking of other projects, why exactly are we holding Cub hostage again? There’s no way we can take on all of Area 77 at the same time, even if I’m one hell of a sniper.

Cleo gets up to lean against the railing, staring out at the steadily darkening forest, waiting for something to stir in its depths.

Cleo: It’s not about them at all, really. Cub’s safer here with us.

Iskall: With the mimickers?

Cleo: Worse things out there than mimickers, Iskall. Take that from me, your local zombie.

Iskall nods silently, checking over his rifle again and making sure everything’s in place.

Cleo: When things are bad, when the chips are down, when everything goes to hell in a handbasket… you do what you have to.

Iskall sees something on the edge of the forest, aims his scope at it and fires cleanly, the first shot of the night.

Iskall: Seems to be our motto these days.

Feed ends.


	2. 4.2

Format: Audio-video feed from inside an Area 77 conference room.

Keralis stands at one end of the table, hands pressed against it as he stares at the others in the room.

Keralis: Okay, so is everyone here? We're all ready to do this meeting?

Doc: …I think we can all count, Keralis. And also, _you're_ one of the reasons why we _called_ this meeting.

Scar: Looks like we have everybody… let's just try to have this meeting go smoothly…

Kakujo: Right. So, Keralis is missing some of his memories, and so is Bdubbs.

Doc nods.

Doc: I suspect something similar could have happened to Cub, considering what False said… but I have no idea where he - or False herself - are.

Bdubbs: That’s another issue. Cleo didn’t sound too happy that False was missin’ and she does _not_ seem like the person to take us running off lightly.

Scar nods and leans back in his chair.

Scar: Yeah… What _did_ happen back there, Doc?

Kakujo and Doc glance at each other hesitantly, both unsure about stepping on the other person’s toes.

Doc: I’m not really sure. One moment, everything was fine - next moment, whole forest’s covered in fog and I’m lost.

Kakujo: …Pretty much the same here.

Scar: And what about False? Any word- sign where she could have gone? What could have happened?

Kakujo grimaces.

Kakujo: I… have no idea.

Bdubbs: None? Doc? Anything?

Scar sighs.

Scar: If we don’t… have _any_ information on where she is I fear Cleo might just blame us. More than she already has.

Keralis frowns, chin in his hands as he stares up at the ceiling.

Keralis: Somethin’ doesn’t add up… I think at least one of us is lying.

Scar: Well, I’m not.

Bdubbs: I’m not _trying_ to, so if I am… sorry?

Doc: As far as I know, that’s the truth on my end.

Keralis: Okay… Kakujo?

Silence.

Bdubbs: …Kakujo?

Kakujo stares at the table, expression blank.

Kakujo: I don’t… want to get you all involved. Sorry.

Bdubbs: We’re _already_ involved. I mean, heck, didn’t you say some weird stuff to me before about uh… Them? Or maybe something else…

Kakujo: It… it’s something else. I didn’t think it would be involved. I don’t _want_ it to be involved. And I keep thinking, maybe if I ignore it, nobody else will get hurt…

Doc: It’s something to do with the fog, isn’t it.

Kakujo: Um- uh- yeah. Yeah, it is…

Keralis: Wait, waitwaitwait, back up, what’s the fog all about? All I know is that fog is water vapor-

Keralis: Hold up! Did you vanish False?

Kakujo stiffens visibly.

Kakujo: No! No, I- I wouldn’t _do_ something like that. I don’t control the fog, I… I _can’t._ It just _happens._

Bdubbs: Well… then who does? Does _it?_

Scar frowns.

Scar: Okay, okay, hold on. KJ?

Kakujo: …Yeah?

Scar: _Regardless_ of what happens, of anything… we’re _not_ leaving you behind. We care about you, okay?

Kakujo takes a deep breath.

Kakujo: That… is not a good idea. Please don’t say that.

Keralis: Hey, look at everyone in here, okay? Everyone’s up to some spooky stuff! Doc can catch on fire and has alien contact, I can charm people, Bdubbs hangs out with a sentient Jungle, Scar… um… I dunno what Scar does…

Keralis: Beside the point anyway! We’re all dealing with strange things, join the club!

Scar: Exactly. We’re all in this together… no use in beating around the bush and being scared and alone now, you know? Friends have each other’s backs.

Kakujo runs his hands through his hair, clearly distressed.

Kakujo: I don't want anyone to get hurt. It might have dragged False off, and I don't want anyone else to -

Doc stands up, hands behind his back.

Doc: General, I understand how you're feeling, but it's almost a _certainty_ the fog has something to do with these missing memories. So even if we didn't all want to help each other out as friends, even from a _totally detached_ perspective we would still need to know what's going on.

Doc rests one hand on Kakujo's shoulder; Kakujo flinches, but makes no move to brush the hand away.

Doc: But… we _do_ want to help you out, as friends. I certainly don't want to speak for everyone in this room, but I think we've all made that known in some way.

Kakujo shakes his head slowly.

Kakujo: Fine… fine. But if anyone dies because of this I am gonna be _so_ mad.

Bdubbs: Well good for you, that ain't gonna happen, cause we're not gonna _let_ it!

Keralis: Yeah, we're in this to win it! Now, um, let's hear what you actually know, pwease?

Kakujo: …Thanks. But in regards to that… it's not a lot. Only that the fog is, um, it's a recurring thing? It usually shows up in my dreams and tries to eat me. The forest was… different.

Kakujo: I'm kinda scared to say this out loud, but I think it might have decided to go after my friends instead of me.

Scar: Well… we've got _our_ headcount and we're all here… but we should probably try to find False, if that's the case.

Bdubbs: I could check the forest again? I mean… ain't like I'm ever really _alone_ among plants.

He chuckles, looking at the vines peeking out from under his sleeves for a moment, before looking back at the group.

Bdubbs: Ain't like I can't handle myself.

Doc: I… think I should go, actually. Falsewell is on high alert and out of everyone, I'm probably the least likely to be shot on sight after the other day's debacle.

Bdubbs: And if they try something? Doc, you don't have much of a backup.

Doc: The other thing is that… the fog doesn't seem to like me? I'm guessing it's the pyrokinesis, but I made it out fine last time.

Doc: So if anyone goes and puts themselves in harm's way, it should probably be me.

Bdubbs: Doc, buddy, I trust you, I do, but also… you got out _once_. Who’s to say you’re gonna make it out if you test your luck a second time?

Scar: He- I don’t wanna say this- but… he makes a point. And… technically fog is water vapour… who’s to say it can’t put you out?

Keralis frowns thoughtfully, tapping his chin.

Keralis: Doc, uh, d’you have other business you’ve gotta attend to in Falsewell, is that what this is about?

Doc: No?

Keralis: That’s a very wishy-washy no, my dude.

Scar: …Doc?

Doc: Yes, Scar?

Scar: We need you to be _honest_ with us. _I_ need you to be honest with me. Doc, do you have other business in Falsewell?

Doc: I have other business. I can’t talk about what it is. But it’s not in Falsewell.

He rubs the bridge of his nose.

Doc: I’m supposed to meet someone in the forest. One-on-one. I know it sounds like a trap, but… I don’t think it is. It’s not like I haven’t had plenty of other ways to be ambushed recently.

Kakujo: Okay. That’s… I don’t like that.

Doc: You think I _do?_

Bdubbs: You’re just gonna go out on some shoddy information like that?! Dude, what the heck! You’re just asking for trouble at that rate- Doc you could get hurt- or worse- or… I don’t know!

Scar sits back in his chair, silently thinking.

Keralis: Hang on. Let me sum up what I’m getting here.

He cocks his head to one side, still tapping his chin.

Keralis: It’s not _in_ Falsewell, but that doesn’t mean it’s not _related_ to Falsewell… and you don’t think it’s a trap because there’s been other opportunities to ambush you… Which is why it being one-on-one seems to make no difference to you.

Keralis: And it’s in the forest between here _and_ Falsewell, _so_ … is it-

Doc: - _Stop._ Yes. Your guess is probably correct. I was supposed to keep this _secret._

Scar stands up.

Scar: Go.

Bdubbs: Wait, this still isn-

Scar: No. I’m making the decision. Doc, if you really think this isn’t going to end… _awfully_ , then go.

Scar: _If_ … things go wrong… send a flare, we’ll get there as soon as we can.

Doc nods.

Doc: Understood. In the meantime - there _are_ other issues we’re working on, we still need to find out what happened to False and what’s going on with - oh, with all of this really.

Doc: So, itinerary. Someone has to be working on the memory issues Keralis and Bdubbs both have, that’s still our top other priority.

He stands up.

Doc: I don’t think this should take me longer than a few hours. Thank you for understanding.

Scar nods.

Scar: No problem… just don’t do anything I would, okay?

Kakujo: Or anything _I_ would, for that matter.

Keralis: I think what we’re saying is, you get the braincell of Area 77, use it wisely?

Kakujo snorts.

Kakujo: _Hey!_ I have a braincell! I just forget to use it sometimes.

Bdubbs: …If you ask me, I think none of us have it and we’re all testing dangerous waters…

Scar: …Someone’s gotta do it.

Doc: I’ll see you all in a bit, gentlemen.

Doc leaves the room; Kakujo visibly deflates a bit as soon as he leaves.

Kakujo: So, _several_ people are missing memories… Was anyone in contact with someone, uh, _suspicious_ before the chunk of time missing?

Keralis shrugs.

Keralis: Not unless you call ConCorp suspicious! Which would be fair, but probably isn’t what you meant.

Scar: Cub can be shifty, but I don't think he'd go take somebody's memory. It's not much use, after all… and it's not something the Vex can do either…

Kakujo: I don't know much of anything about them. I guess that's a dead-end too.

Scar: …There was that…

He pauses, looking over at Keralis.

Scar: Keralis?

Keralis: _I’m_ not taking people’s memories!

Scar: I didn’t say that!

Scar: I was just gonna ask… last time I saw Cub and you… the only thing I could think of that might’ve been off was that you mentioned somebody- a villager? I think? Over in ConCorp? I know Cub’s been workin’ with them, but-

Kakujo stands up abruptly, staring at Scar with an almost completely blank expression on his face.

Kakujo: What profession?

Scar: Uh… I… believe Keralis had said a butcher?

Kakujo’s expression goes stormy - gritted teeth, an odd glint in his eyes - and he immediately turns around as if to leave the room.

Bdubbs reaches over to grab his arm.

Bdubbs: What in the world do you think you’re doing?

Kakujo tilts his head back towards Bdubbs, pulling his arm out of reach, a cold expression on his face. His voice echoes in the room, and the lights flicker briefly.

Kakujo: _I have an_ ** _old friend_** _I need to talk to._

Feed ends.


	3. 4.3

Format: Audio feed from surveillance drone above hippie camp.

False: Grian? Can we talk?

Grian: I dunno, _can_ we?

Silence.

Grian: …Yes, yes we can. What’s up?

False: I _need_ to leave. I have a town to look over and yet… I’m still here. Why can’t I leave Grian?

Grian: Several reasons. How mad at me d’you want to be?

False sighs.

False: Look, I’ll be honest, I’m mad at a lot of things right now. Shoot.

Grian: You need to stay here because Cleo’s gotta continue holding Cub hostage.

False: …

False: She _WHAT?!_

__

Grian: Hey, I _asked_ how mad at me you wanted to be, this is on you.

False: On _m-_ On _ME?!_ Grian, what’s on _me_ is that one of the folks working in _MY_ town has someone _HOSTAGE_!! And you won’t- I can’t- Are you _kidding_ me?! I can’t stay here!

Grian: You _have_ to. Cub is _safer_ there.

False: S-saf-

False breaks into nervous laughter.

False: SAFER! _SAFER_! Sure! Yup! God, yeah! **_Safer_**! Grian do you know _anything_ about Cleo? I love her to bits- she’s a great friend- but _Grian_ … 

Grian: I know a lot about Cleo. A _lot_ about her. The necromancy, the phantomward, what she’s doing with the mimickers, what she _could_ do to Cub. But she _won’t_. He’s a _hostage,_ not a _prisoner_.

False: Until _when_? _When_ will that status _change_ , Grian? Then what? These aren’t _ifs_. These are _whens_. And I’m _not_ going to just _sit_ idly as things break down! You might be okay with that, but I’m not! I’m the mayor of Falsewell and I have a _duty_ to protect the people in it. I have a duty to protect my _friends_ , Grian.

Silence, and then a rustling noise.

Grian: False, _shut up_. 

Grian: I _know_ when that status will change. You will be _back_ by then. I _know_ what Cleo is doing and I know _exactly when_ she will snap and exactly _where_ she needs to be at that moment. I have done this _hundreds of times_ , False, this is the _final loop_ , and you are _not_ going to ruin this for me by _complaining about what you think is a certainty!_

__

Grian: So unless you want Cub to _die_ , or you want to get dragged off by the fog, or maybe just want to watch as Doc explodes the _entire_ server, then you are _going to listen to me_.

Grian: _Am I_ ** _clear_** _!?_

__

False is silent.

False: …Fine.

False: You’re… you’re clear.

Grian’s voice is softer, more muffled.

Grian: …Sorry. This is just… usually where it all goes wrong… and I don’t want that to happen.

False: It’s… okay… I’m just… I’m just… Scared, Grian. If I’m honest.

Grian laughs bitterly.

Grian: So am I. I know what’s going to happen and I’m still scared… All I can do is try, though.

False: That’s… all anyone can do, really. Keep… fighting and keep getting back up off their feet. No matter the wounds. No matter the fight.

Grian: No. No, that’s dumb. You have to know when to retreat.

False: Yes, but… well now isn’t that time, is it? You said it yourself- this is the final loop. We… have to push forward.

The weak grin in Grian’s voice is audible.

Grian: Yeah… yeah, we do. Thanks, False.

Feed ends.


	4. 4.4

It was daybreak in Falsewell.

The sun streamed through the windows in the museum, the shades of the motel, pretty much everything; Cleo stretched and headed over to Cub’s room immediately. It was just the two of them - Iskall had said he had something to do - and to be honest, she was starting to get a little antsy.

Scar hadn’t noticed that Cub was gone. What kind of _friend_ was that? No, better question, what could be _so important_ that Scar wouldn’t even go looking for his own business partner? Something was rotten, really truly rotten, and it _wasn’t_ just her own body.

Cleo shoved her hands in her pockets and leaned against the door to Cub’s motel room - didn’t knock, didn’t make any indication she was there, just waited for him to come out.

He opened the door - or tried to, before he noticed the weight against it and stopped.

“Hello?”

“Morning, castaway.” She stepped back from the door, let Cub leave the room. “Sleep well? I know it gets a bit _noisy_ , what with the whole... water tower operation, let’s call it.”

He frowned, staring at her. “Yeah… just… fine. Cleo, when are you all going to let me go?”

Cleo shrugged. “When the guys over at Area 77 bring False back.” Not the whole truth. Technically not a full lie.

“Do they even _have_ False? Do you have any proof of that? I know they’re not… the greatest, but Scar is also part of that group and he’d not have any want to bring _kidnapping_ into anything he does-”

“-Doc’s the other general, isn’t he?”

“Yes. Yes he is,” Cub said flatly. “Your point?”

“You were there. During the war. In the last world. Even before then. Scar’s your buddy, sure, but does the guy nicknamed _Doctor Monster_ really strike you as a particularly _ethical_ person?” Cleo curled her lip in disgust.

“You don’t strike me as a particularly ethical person _either_ , Cleo. We’re all morally twisted one way or another.”

“So then, you admit it’s totally possible that they arrested False and won’t tell us.”

“I admit it’s a _chance_ , but the percentage is _low_ , Cleo. And I don’t see you giving any decent evidence outside of your own paranoia. Present me _facts_ and then we can talk about this.” Cub’s tone got more argumentative, but he still hadn’t raised his voice. Then again, what more was there to expect from one of the men behind ConCorp?

Cleo shrugged again. “I’m not gonna let you go just because you want proof I don’t have yet. Give it a day. You’ll see.”

“And what’s going to change in a day, Cleo? You’re only making enemies with this stunt of yours. Let me go and maybe we can figure something out in a more _orderly_ fashion.”

She looked up at the sky, a vacant - almost totally _absent_ \- expression on her face, voice soft. “One day… In less than twenty-four hours, you’ll see. Drops of water on a still surface. The storm’s coming.”

Cub frowned, taking a step towards her. “Cleo? Cleo, what’s going on,” he asked, reaching out one hand and putting it on her shoulder. She didn’t react in the slightest - didn’t pull away, even stiffen. She just sighed, turned her head back towards Cub.

“We have less than a day until everything goes to hell. And I’m _not_ letting you get dragged off by the waves again, castaway.”

“... Again? Cleo… Cleo, I’m sorry, but you’re not making any sense. What’s going _on?_ ”

Cleo laughed softly, before straightening her posture and grinning back at Cub. “Can’t tell you that, it’s a nasty surprise but it’s a surprise nonetheless. In the meantime, I’m not letting you out of my sight - don’t need you getting eaten by a mimicker, after all.”

“Cleo, I- Mimicker? What is going on in this town, Cleo? Can you at least tell me _that_.”

She blew a tuft of red hair out of her face. “Oh, I can definitely tell you _that_ much. You know, the thing Iskall shot? The one pretending to be Keralis? _That’s_ a mimicker.”

Cleo adjusted the clipboard she was carrying, tapping her fingers against the side of it idly. “Falsie wasn’t expecting this place to be popular, you see, it was supposed to be a regular tourist trap. That’s when something funky happened, and ever since then there’s been monsters coming from those woods and pretending to be other people.”

Honestly, she’d been expecting this conversation to go _way_ worse, so Cub relenting with his whole “what’s going on” line of questioning was a relief. Mimickers, she could talk about those. Those made sense, sort of.

Cub grimaced, but nodded slowly. “Okay… and Iskall and yourself? Are you just hired to… to _deal_ with them?”

“Iskall, yes.” She grinned at him. “Me? I’m here to figure out what they _are_.”

“And have you?”

“To some extent, yes.” She brandished the clipboard, jerked her head towards the museum. “And I _could_ tell you all the nasty details I know, but you don’t seem like you’ve got the stomach for that right now. Plus, we might not have the time.”

“Then what _do_ we have time for, Cleo? You’re avoiding answering questions _and_ keeping me here.”

Cleo shielded her eyes as she looked up at the sky. “We have an hour or so until it begins. Maybe I _can_ show you the basement after all.”


	5. 4.5

Format: Video feed from hidden cameras in Falsewell-Area 77 border forest, synced manually to audio from several bugs.

Doc enters the forest, slipping through a checkpoint gate and heading deeper into the woods, clutching his trident in one hand and a flare gun in the other. His teeth are gritted, but he looks more uneasy than angry.

He stops, checking the sunlight overhead and his position next to a specific tree.

Doc: I’m here.

Someone else - Iskall, at the other side of the trunk, holding a modified flare gun in his offhand and nothing in the other.

Iskall: And I’m here.

Doc: Great. So, now what’s going to happen? Is Cleo going to tackle me from the bushes or what?

Iskall: No. You said to come alone. Am I about to get hit by an air strike?

Doc blinks and steps away from the tree, takes several paces back with a confused look on his face.

Doc: _I_ said to come alone? No, no, _you_ sent me the message. “We need to talk. Forest between our two factions. Come alone.”

Iskall steps out from behind the tree as well, gun lowered, drumming his free hand against the small thermos stuffed into one pocket.

Iskall: You… you sent _me_ that exact message, Doc, what the hell?

Doc stares at Iskall. Iskall stares back.

Doc: …Someone’s messing with us.

The two of them almost immediately fall into a back-to-back ready stance, Iskall flicking a switch on his gun and Doc readying his trident.

Iskall: You know, we’re usually on opposite sides. G-team versus STAR-team. La Revolution versus the nHo.

Doc: Professional differences. You didn’t touch my bush.

Iskall: Sure. Just saying, I’m kinda glad that this wasn’t your ambush.

Doc: And I’m extremely concerned that it wasn’t _your_ ambush. Iskall, this is an _obvious_ trap now.

Leaves crunch underfoot as another person approaches.

Impulse: Actually, it’s a _set-up_. Trap implies malicious intent.

Impulse cuts a weird figure in the shade of the trees - he looks run ragged, dark circles under his eyes like he hasn’t slept in months, and there’s a frankly awfully made flower crown of blue orchids and comfrey pulled over his head.

He’s also carrying a bazooka.

Impulse: Good morning, gentlemen. And Iskall.

Iskall: _Hey!_

Impulse: …And Doc.

He frowns.

Impulse: Actually, I’m going to just take back that “gentlemen” comment. Morning, guys. What’re you doing all the way out here?

Doc levels his trident at Impulse, eyes narrowed.

Doc: I could ask you the same question.

Iskall sighs, casually pointing his gun at Impulse as well.

Iskall: Obvious, isn't it? He sent us those messages because he wanted us to be out here without anyone knowing he arranged it.

Impulse raises an eyebrow, looking from the gun in Iskall's hand back to the bazooka in his own.

Impulse: Yup.

He sounds tired and drained, but there's a vaguely manic energy behind all that exhaustion, an ominously excited rasp.

Impulse: Here, we have three of the key factions involved in this whole mess. Doc and Iskall, you have information for each other.

Doc: _You_ sent the notes, not me. Maybe I _don't_ feel like sharing any-

Impulse: -I wasn't finished. I also have information that both of you are going to need. Info that I’m not gonna impart until you two get to talking.

Iskall sighs.

Iskall: And the bazooka’s for if we don’t cooperate, I suppose?

Impulse: Bingo.

A long silence, and then Doc starts laughing, tired and hoarse and angry.

Doc: You don’t have the _guts_ , Impulse.

Iskall looks back and forth, between the grinning Doc and Impulse’s flat, neutral expression.

Iskall: He definitely does.

Impulse, for his part, just shrugs and checks his wrist as though looking at his watch.

Impulse: I won’t need to use it, thankfully. Because as soon as I finish this sentence, one of you is going to start talking.

A brief silence, and then Iskall sighs.

Iskall: Mimickers. That’s what’s going on in Falsewell.

Doc: _What._

Iskall: …You asked False what was going on in the town just before she vanished in the woods. We owe you a response. It’s mimickers. They come out of these woods every night, gunky things that imitate the shape of other hermits, and I shoot them down.

He unhooks the thermos from his belt and takes a sip.

Iskall: I haven’t slept in weeks.

Doc lowers his trident slowly, eyes flicking back and forth between Iskall.

Doc: Funny, I initially thought Kakujo was a mimicker before it turned out he was an okay person.

Iskall: Yeah… are you gonna tell me what’s up with him, actually? It might stop Cleo from wanting to do unethical experiments on him.

Doc: I doubt they’d have much effect. General Kakujo is capital-w _Weird_ , Iskall. Reality warper levels of not quite fitting into this world.

Iskall: To what extent?

Doc: He showed up in General Scar’s dreams. He somehow got through an anti-teleportation lock. Twice now, he’s said something that physically caused reality to sort of… shudder.

Impulse: Okay, so, worse than the aliens. Good to know.

Iskall stares at Doc, and Doc stares at Impulse. There’s a supremely awkward silence between the three of them before Doc finally breaks the silence.

Doc: You… know about the aliens?

Impulse: Grian told me there was something going on over there with aliens. I made an educated guess.

Impulse: Speaking of which - the information I have that you need.

He twirls the bazooka around his arm; Iskall takes a step back as it almost hits him over the head.

Impulse: There’s someone else at play here. A - fourth faction, fifth faction if you count Bdubbs and Keralis. They’re trying to stay in the margins, keep all this on the down-low.

He locks eyes with Doc and Iskall.

Impulse: They’re erasing people’s memories.

Iskall and Doc both mutter names under their breath as the information sinks in.

Doc: _Keralis._

Iskall: _Cub._

__

They stare at each other, processing, and then Impulse shrugs.

Impulse: Right, well, I wasn’t supposed to tell you that, so I’m gonna go now before I get us all redacted. I have a place I’m supposed to be, and it is _super_ not here.

Doc: Hang on, you’re not just gonna leave like that. Now you’re sounding extremely suspicious, if I’m gonna be honest.

Iskall: Doc’s right. How do we know you’re not giving us this information to throw us off the trail?

A smug smile spreads across Impulse’s face as he puts away the bazooka.

Impulse: Technically, you have no way of knowing that. Which is why you all are about to get really pissed at me for what I’m going to do next.

Doc: Hang on a damn second-

Impulse: It’s fine, Doc. Just that, well, the script says that the two of you need to leave this forest. Only I’m tired of following that thing to the letter, so…

Iskall: What _script?_

Impulse keeps talking, ignoring Iskall.

Impulse: I figure, I may be able to get you two out of the forest, but nobody said anything about luring other people _in_ , so… 

He draws something out of his pocket and, before either Doc or Iskall can lunge to stop him, points his own flare gun straight up at the sky and fires.

Impulse: _Scatter._


	6. 4.6

Format: Audio feed from a conference room in Area 77. No video feed available.

Scar: So… plans for today? Should we-

Bdubbs: Are we _not_ going to talk about what just happened?! Seriously?

Scar: Well, I was kinda hoping we could just… dodge that issue for a little bit? Look, I already let Doc out to do something possibly stupid, I can’t account for everyone at every time.

Bdubbs: THAT IS LITERALLY YOUR JOB HERE!

Keralis: Woah woah woah! Bubbles! Cool it with the angry mode!

Bdubbs: Why should I!? He’s not doing his job, Doc’s out probably getting himself in trouble, and now Kakujo is doing GOD knows what! And on top of all this _your_ memory is all messed up! I think I have a _right_ to be frustrated here!

Keralis puffs out his cheeks.

Keralis: Yeah, but we’re not Kakujo and we can’t solve this situation by yelling at it.

Bdubbs: We can try!!

Scar: Literally, we _can’t_. But go off, I guess.

Silence, and then Keralis clears his throat awkwardly.

Keralis: So, Cub teach you any other cool memes?

Bdubbs: …I will literally pay you to never utter those words _ever_ again, okay?

Keralis: Deal! Give me your diamonds.

Scar: _So our plans!_ Yeah? Yeah…

Scar: Doc’s doing whatever he is and I _hope_ it’s gonna benefit us, but I can’t say it will or won’t. Keralis, Bdubbs, we’ve gotta figure out what’s going on with your memory. And, you know, False is missing, that’s… a thing…

Bdubbs: Yeah, and what do you suggest we _do_ about any of it? I don’t know about you, _General_ , but I don’t know how to fix someone’s memory. Or where False went. I’m just a guy with some vines and a lot of-

Keralis: -It’s gotta be the hippies, right?

Scar: …You think Grian and them are up to this? Why? What incentive would they have for taking False? I get that Grian’s been suspicious of _us_ , but Falsewell isn’t exactly _apart_ of Area 77.

Keralis: Well, I dunno about everything that goes on here, but… Bubbles ‘n’ I didn’t do it, Cleo doesn’t seem like she’s lying about False going missing, and I’m _assuming_ you didn’t take her. So where does that leave us? Hippies.

Bdubbs: Okay, so let’s go shake ‘em till they talk?

Scar: That… doesn’t seem like an ideal plan. I mean, if- and I mean _if_ \- they took False, then I think they’ve got a little more defense than we first thought? 

Keralis: I could charm my way in.

Scar: _No._ Absolutely not. 

Keralis: _Pwease?_

There’s silence in the room. Just a beat too long of tension.

Scar: _Fine_.

Bdubbs: Uh… Keralis? Buddy? Excuse me?

The nervous grin on Keralis’s face is painfully audible.

Keralis: Yeah?

Bdubbs: _Yeah?_ YEAH? HEY, KERALIS, YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT WHAT JUST HAPPENED OR DO YOU WANT _ME_ TO, CAUSE ONLY ONE OF US IS GONNA PUT IT IN A POSITIVE LIGHT, _BUDDY_.

Keralis: Bubbles, calm down, you gotta stop yelling! I just asked nicely, is all-

Bdubbs: I- _KERALIS_ , I’M NOT GOING TO CALM DOWN!!! Do you even- I- this is not the time for your _games_! Doc and Kakujo are out there probably gettin’ themselves _killed_ for all we know and False is MIA and the Hippies might be to blame and Scar’s trying to help and _I’m_ trying to help- or- _something_ , and YOU’RE out here trying to charm people!! Dude! Not! Cool!

Another uncomfortable silence.

Keralis: Okay, so first of all, Doc is probably talking with Iskall right now, so he _should_ be fine-

Bdubbs: DUDE, THEY DON’T GET ALONG!! WHY DO YOU EVEN _KNOW_ \- I JUST- AGHH!

There’s a moment to breathe.

Bdubbs: _Look_ , Keralis, buddy, pal… I think this situation is… _brittle_ … and being all smooth and stuff isn’t exactly _helping_ the situation. You’re only going to make Scar not trust you… I mean, didn’t this exact thing happen with Kakujo and you?

Scar: … _I’m sorry,_ ** _what?_**

**__**

Keralis: …Aw, beans.

Scar: I- Keralis- …You know what, no, we’re gonna have a _talk_ later, got that? Good.

Keralis: And now I’m goin’ right back in the slammer. Thanks, Bubbles.

Bdubbs: This is your own crime, buddy, not mine.

Scar: …Bdubbs? You think you can help provide cover if we decide to go looking around the Hippie’s camp?

Bdubbs: I can try my best. Should we wait till Doc gets back?

Keralis grumbles to himself, clearly no longer paying full attention to the conversation.

Keralis: Oh, _sure_ , go ahead and take _my_ great idea and act like _you_ thought it up when I _just_ got in trouble for it.

Scar: Might be a good idea. If things go south we’re gonna need backup. _And_ I’m pretty sure Doc wouldn’t be all too happy if we went trudging into danger without his knowledge.

Bdubbs: He’d also probably call us all hypocrites.

Scar: _Yeah…_

__

Keralis: Well you’re all bein’ a bunch of hypocrites right now anyway.

Bdubbs: Angry cause you got caught in your act, huh?

Keralis: No, I’m grumpy because you’re committing intellectual property theft.

Scar: I don’t see a copyright document, so unless you really wanna go file one of those, go to court, and lose… then… sorry? I guess?

Keralis makes a grumbling noise.

Keralis: Freakin’ ConCorp and their monopolies. ‘M gonna shop at Sahara from now on.

Scar sighs.

Scar: Let’s just see how long it takes for Doc to get back - if nothing happens within the next hour or so we go to the Hippie camp and figure out what the heck’s going on, yeah?

Bdubbs: Sounds like a plan. Except what do you exactly… _plan_ to do? We can get in, but then what? And if you get caught?

Scar: … _Yeah_ , didn’t exactly plan _that_ far ahead…

Keralis: See, _this_ is why you shoulda let me go in and charm ‘em! Sheesh!

Scar: Charming your way through things doesn’t exactly work _smoothly_ does it, Keralis?

Keralis: Not when people _blow my freaking cover!_

Bdubbs: You’re welcome.

Scar: …Regardless, I get that all you folks with wacky powers wanna use them and all, but sometimes I think it’s _ok_ to _not_?

Bdubbs: I get that, yeah… That does mean we’re still down one actually put-together plan, though.

Scar: I’m _trying_.

Bdubbs: Okay, okay, okay.

Bdubbs: So I cover you both and you presumably sneak into the camp. Then where do you go? How are you gonna avoid them? Do you want me to distract them?

Scar: If you think you can distract them or hold them off then that’d be great… As for where… they’ve got vans in there, yeah? We can check them all, see if she’s there. I can take half and Keralis you can take the other half? To cover ground?

Keralis: Okay, but what if, hear me out, I just _ask_ them if she’s there? Save us all the time?

Bdubbs: Consider, have you ever thought about your own moral ambiguity about this?

Keralis: Nope! My conscience is clear.

Bdubbs: …Yeah, okay, sure, whatever helps you sleep at night…

Scar: Yeah, Keralis?

Keralis: Yeeeees?

Scar: We’re gonna need to have that talk.

Scar: _Now._

Feed ends.


	7. 4.7

Pretty much immediately, Bdubbs got up and made some awkward excuse about having to go to the bathroom, which left a pretty angry Scar and a rather nervous Keralis alone in the room together.

“Keralis, have you ever considered that your actions have consequences? Ever?” Scar asked, sitting down in the chair across from Keralis and leaning back.

Keralis shifted in his seat awkwardly. “To be honest, I’ve found that, up to this point, the consequences of my actions have largely been in my favor?” He grinned, half sheepishly and half nervously.

“Perhaps the consequences fell nicely for you, but what about the ones who are subject to what you’re doing? To the folks who can’t argue for themselves in the situations you’re causing. Keralis, did it ever occur to you that you’re _literally messing with people’s free will?”_

An awkward silence. A _very_ awkward silence.

“It’s not like people don’t get to say no thank you,” Keralis muttered, looking down at the table, avoiding eye contact with Scar. “I’m just asking nicely is all.”

“It’s not just asking nicely!” Scar yelled, slammed his hands down on the table, nearly knocking his chair back as he stood, “It was _never_ just asking nicely! I _told_ you no, Keralis! I told you no and you tried to _charm_ a yes out of me! And if Bdubbs hadn’t gone ballistic about it, I’m not certain I would have even _known!_ Just because you make it out to be _polite_ in wording, doesn’t mean it’s right! It’s _never_ right to get in someone’s head like that!”

“I’m not _in_ anyone’s head!” Keralis continued avoiding eye contact with Scar. “I just wanted you to reconsider because I could’ve _handled_ it! And now you an’ Bubbles are gonna go _out there_ and we’re all gonna risk our necks because you suddenly don’t want me to do my thing that I pretty much always do!”

Scar went quiet and sat back down, putting his head in his hands. “Keralis, do tell me, how much do you know about Area 77 and the events of the past few weeks?”

He snapped his head up, glaring at Scar. “Well, _les’see._ First I stumble through a portal and you lock me up, then I get let go only to have Doc point missiles at me until a new inmate comes along, an _then_ suddenly everything’s in a tizzy and I go talk to your best friend Cub who apparently knows _nothing_ about all this, and _then_ apparently I got my freaking _memory wiped_ for trying to help you guys out!”

Scar stared at him and took a deep breath, then reached down under the table - Keralis flinched, ready for a weapon to come flying at his face.

Instead, Scar brought his hand back up, now holding a white ceramic prosthetic leg with glowing blue circuitry.

“You’re not in anyone’s head. Sure. I’ll give you that, your tactics are different. But, Keralis, consider that your words carry a lot of weight… and the results of the things you do could end _very_ badly. Maybe not for you. But for the folks you keep messing with. You _can’t_ take every little thing into account. Do you understand what I’m saying? Am I making myself _clear?”_

“Honestly? No? I don’t understand what’s going on anymore?”

Scar sighed and gestured at the prosthetic now lying on the table between them. “I got this because something decided to mess with my free will to the point that it put my life at risk. Granted, it was a lot more insidious than you. I get that you’re trying to help out, Keralis, I do… but not everyone is going to see it that way. And you’re talking to one of those people.”

Keralis blinked at the leg still on the table, pupils narrowing slightly. “In my defense, nobody tells me _anything,_ how was I gonna know you had grudges about this stuff?”

“It’s not just about _me_ and _grudges_ , Keralis! It’s about the fact that you don’t _sway_ someone’s decisions, good intent or _not_. Things go wrong and people should be allowed to make their _own_ choices. Not have their thoughts and actions be manipulated by the supernatural!”

Scar’s radio crackled with static, just briefly. Enough for him to turn his attention to it.

He paused and then grabbed the radio off his belt and pressed the button. “Hello, Doc? Everything alright?”

The voice at the other end of the radio was, however, decidedly _not_ Doc.

“And what happens,” Grian said, voice grim, “when you let people make their own choices and everybody _dies?”_

Scar frowned. “There’s a difference in _swaying_ someone’s thoughts and telling someone they’re making a poor decision to save them from their own idiocy- wait. _Grian?”_

“Flares in the forest. Better go get your friends.”


	8. 4.8

Format: Audio and video feeds from various cameras around the Falsewell area.

The sun has now risen completely over a seemingly abandoned Falsewell, minus one person strolling in just in time to catch a single flare going up over the forest. Joe grimaces, but continues towards the museum, occasionally glancing around for some sign of other people.

There is, in fact, some sign of other people. Cleo and Cub are both in the museum, seemingly _just_ finishing up a heated argument.

Cub: I’m just _saying_ that there’s an inherent _risk_ with an operation like this and you’re not exactly taking it _seriously,_ Cleo!

Cleo: I’m taking it very seriously, actually. I just happen to get snarky under pressure.

Joe: I can confirm that.

Cleo jumps slightly, clearly not expecting the intrusion.

Cleo: Oh-! Joe. Hey.

Joe: Howdy. Bit of a ghost town, isn’t it?

Cleo: One zombie and one Cub… no ghosts, last I checked? Unless you count, Joe?

Joe shrugs.

Joe: Maybe so. Cub, you got a sixth sense or is Cleo talkin’ to thin air right about now?

Cub: Uh… _no_. No on the thin air part. You’re corporeal.

Joe: Either that or you’re both mediums. That out of the way, uh- Y’all have seen the fireworks over your forest, yeah?

Cleo: Yeah, we have.

Cub: Have… we? Last I remember we were in your basement while you were being… _you_.

Joe squints at Cleo.

Joe: Huuh. Okay. Well, you got fireworks over your forest.

Cleo: Yup.

Joe: You gonna do anything about that?

Cleo: Maybe so.

Cub: I don’t like that tone considering the stuff you’re pulling off here, Cleo… but also, what are you doing out here, Joe? Thought you had a coaster you were working on?

Joe: Oh, y’know, just seein’ the sights. I’ve heard this place is relatively bustling these days, but… apparently not?

Cleo snickers.

Cleo: Nightlife’s booming, though.

Cub: _Yeah_ … _booming_... 

Cub frowns, sticking his hands in his coat pockets.

Cub: Cleo?

Cleo: Yeah?

Cub: Uh… remember that issue I was having a while back?

Cleo frowns thoughtfully, then cocks her head to the side.

Cleo: Joe, ‘scuse us for one moment? Falsewell huddle.

Joe steps back out of the doorframe.

Joe: No problem. Go ahead an’ discuss your serious business without me.

Cleo jerks her head to one side and moves to a corner of the museum, one out of Joe’s earshot.

Cleo: So?

Cub follows and eyes the door one last time before looking at Cleo.

Cub: Not certain exactly… but I can’t shake the feeling of deja vu right now. And it’s not exactly comforting either.

Cleo: Buddy, you’ve had deja vu the entire time you’ve been here, you’re gonna need to be a _liiiiiittle_ more specific about the vague ominous feelings.

Cub sighs.

Cub: There’s a base level of deja vu I’ve been having and it’s been ramped up about 200%, is what I’m saying. That’s _not_ happened before and I don’t think it’s your fault… there’s only one other person in the vicinity right now and that’s Joe, but… 

Cleo: So, d’you need me to kill him or what?

Cub: NO! _No!_ Good god, Cleo, no. I’m saying that maybe you- we- should be careful? I… Joe’s a good guy- most of the time- but I don’t like the feeling in my gut right now. Has… has he really been building a coaster lately? Does anyone have confirmation on that?

Cleo shrugs.

Cleo: You’re right, the roller coaster shaped pile of scaffolding over at Hermitland, the one with very coaster-shaped jumps and turns, that could be _anything._

Cub scowls and grabs at her wrist to drag her to look at the museum.

Cub: I’ve been _here_. With _you._ I don’t _know_ what’s been going on in Hermitland. I wasn’t monitoring it either when I was back at ConCorp. I had my eyes _here_. And then parts of my memory apparently went, you know, _missing_ and I’ve been dealing with that!

Cub: I get that you seem to think that I don’t _know_ as much as you do. Fair, fine, that’s probably even correct right now. But if you treat me like a _child_ one more time Cleo… We’re gonna have problems, do you _understand_ that?

Cleo’s face goes blank, her gaze somewhat distant again as her lips curl up into a very slight grin.

Cleo: Don’t get your mask in a twist just yet, buddy. Storm’s not come in all the way yet.

Cub pauses and lets her go, taking a step back.

Cub: And this again… I still don’t know what you’re on about with a storm, Cleo.

Joe pokes his head into the museum.

Joe: Sorry to interrupt, but that is a mighty long Falsewell Huddle y’all are having over there, is everything alright?

Cub: Absolutely _peachy_. Joe, you don’t have a lot of patience do you? Awfully rude to interrupt business, you know?

Joe: Peaches’re prone to rottin’ pretty quickly, so that’s a weird choice of metaphor for you to question my patience. I’ll be outside again.

Cleo frowns, but lets Joe duck back outside with no comment before turning back to Cub.

Cleo: …You’ll know when the storm comes, castaway. You’ll know.

Cub: Cleo… can you be honest with me once? Are you _okay?_

__

Cleo’s grin widens; the distant look in her eyes clears, replaced by the usual vague mania.

Cleo: Gonna waste your one honest answer on that? I’ll consider it a freebie. Nah, I’m not. Nobody’s okay yet. We’re not out of the woods.

She blinks.

Cleo: Speaking of which, I should probably check on the distress signal Iskall sent up. That doesn’t usually happen.

Cub: …Fine. Go check on him. Maybe whatever you’ve given him has finally backfired, I don’t know. Just… don’t get yourself in too much trouble, okay?

Cleo raises an eyebrow.

Cleo: So am I leavin’ you with Joe, or are you tagging along?

Cub: Yeah. I’ll stay behind. I don’t think I’m gonna be much help with whatever you both are up to.

Cub: I’ll be fine.

Cleo nods, then turns towards Joe.

Cleo: Right! So I’ve gotta go check on those flares. Hills, you catch up with your capitalist buddy or whatever. See you around.

Joe frowns just slightly as Cleo brushes past him, pushing her sunglasses back down over her eyes.

Joe: Well that was weird.

Feed ends.


	9. 4.9

Format: Audio and video feed from a few surveillance drones over the hippie camp.

Grian looks up at the sky, eyes narrowed.

Grian: Huh. Well, that’s probably a good sign.

False: …No, no I don’t know about that one.

Grian shrugs.

Grian: Hey, eyes in the skies aren’t _always_ a sign of ominous government surveillance. They are in this case, but, y’know, tomato tomahto.

False: You realize that anything you plan here is going to get seen? Kinda makes things difficult, but I guess that’s on you, not me.

Impulse: They’re probably part of his master plan anyway.

Impulse has, in fact, returned to the camp. He looks more than a little exhausted, and is dragging his bazooka on the ground behind him, leaving a small trail of disturbed grass.

Grian: Woah, careful with my equipment there!

False grimaces.

False: Remind me why you need a bazooka?

Impulse: To explode things, right?  
  
Grian nods.

Grian: Yup! To explode things.

False: Funny that, seein’ as the last time I personally remember any exploding being done with all of us involved it was… oh yeah, G-Team getting their base owned by the ghast cannon.

Grian: Which is why I need to up my game, clearly. Impulse, can I have that back?

Impulse shrugs and tosses the bazooka over to Grian, who catches it and gently sets it down on the ground beside him, patting it comfortingly.

Grian: Speakin’ of explode things, Impulse, I’m _surprised._

Impulse grins weakly, smugly.

Impulse: You do what you have to, right?

Grian: Pretty sure that’s more of a “you did what you wanted to” in this case. _Sneaky._

False: Would you both be _so kind_ to explain what you’re talking about or am I just going to have to sit this one out like most things you’ve done?

Grian sighs.

Grian: Sorry, sorry. I’m way too used to talking in circles. You saw the flare go up anyway, right?

False: _Yeah_ and it’s taking most of my self control not to knock you both out to figure out what that’s about. I _do_ still have a town to look after, Grian, and I know our flares.

Grian looks over at Impulse, who gives him a tired, smug smile in return.

Grian: Alright, go on then.

False: …You’re kidding me, right? This is a trick? Some other weird part of your plan?

Grian: Yep, and also you’re free to go and I’m not gonna stop you.

False stands up warily, one hand still on her sword hilt.

False: Okay… then… 

Grian: I didn’t say anything about _Impulse_ not stopping you, however-

False doesn’t take even a minute to round on Grian and punch him square in the gut; Grian makes a wheezing sound like a balloon releasing air as the blow hits solidly.

Grian: Eeeeeghyep I deserved that. Impulse isn’t gonna - ngh, okay, that hurt more than I thought it would - he’s not gonna stop you either. Pretty sure he’s too busy laughing at my pain.

This is, in fact, exactly what Impulse is doing.

False: Good, spares himself getting clocked. You both take care, oh and Grian?  


False: Hold me hostage ever again and I won’t be so kind to aim for your stomach.

And she leaves without another word, determined to figure out what she’s missed.

Grian stares after her, expression on his face somewhere between pain and determination.

Grian: Welp, this is definitely the right timeline.

Feed ends.


	10. 4.10

Format: Audio and video feed from surveillance bugs in and surrounding the forest outside Falsewell.

Bdubbs: So you’re tellin’ me that Grian just casually picked up the radio and mentioned that there were flares and we’re just gonna… go with it?  
  
Scar: I don’t think we’ve got much of a choice, to be fair.

Keralis: Yeah, this is next-level sketch, but… ‘s Grian always like this? He seems to always be like this.

Scar: I mean since this stuff started, yeah. Before that? I mean he can be a pest, but not exactly sketchy. Well, except when he decides to be Poultry Man.

Keralis: Who now?

Scar: Chicken costume? Causes problems? On purpose? I guess he hasn’t gotten to do that much since you guys came here and Area 77 was built…

Bdubbs: You know, we’ve had a lot of weird conversations and reveals… I think this one might be the weirdest though.

Keralis: Weirder’n General Jo making the world go all wibbly coz you grabbed him by the collar?

Bdubbs: …Okay, _second_ weirdest thing.

Scar: I think I’ve become… semi-used to it by now? Still makes me feel a bit sick, but it’s not as startling.

Keralis: You’ve got really strong opinions about some guy in a chicken costume, huh.

Scar: I meant _Kakujo_ , Keralis. Grian’s Poultry Man schtick just… Is.

Bdubbs: Speakin’ of which… you think he’s gonna be OK? He seemed uhhh… Not so great when he left. I know you trust your General, Scar, but I dunno… 

Keralis mutters something under his breath.

Keralis: _Scawy…_

__

Scar: Kakujo’s a good person. He can… do a _lot_ , but yes. I trust him. Maybe even a little more than I do Doc seeing as we’re having to deal with flares now… I thought he had this under control.

Bdubbs: I _did_ try to get him to stay put but nobody _listened_ to me-

Keralis holds up one hand and _shush_ es the other two aggressively.

Keralis: Shhshshshshshshh. Lookit this clearing for a sec.

Scar pauses and looks around the clearing. He keeps his voice low when he speaks.

Scar: You think they met up here?

Keralis: I do think so. Bubbles, what do the trees tell you?

Bdubbs: …Keralis, I’ve been over this, they don’t _talk_.

Bdubbs: But… it’s unsettling here.

Scar: Well, I guess we should look for clues on what happened and where in the world they are now… Cause they sure aren’t _here._

__

Keralis: Unless they’re invisible… Hellooo? Invisible Doc?

Silence.

Keralis: Okay so I guess not.

Bdubbs: Last I checked, he couldn’t go invisible. I think lighting things on fire might actually be the exact _opposite_ of invisible.

Keralis: Coulda drunk a potion. You never know.

Bdubbs: He ain’t that prepared.

Scar sighs, walking into the clearing and looking around. No sign of a struggle… but… 

Scar: Hey guys? How many footprints are you counting here?

Keralis: Hm… Doc, Iskall, _thwee._ Wuh oh, that’s not good.

There’s a sound as bushes are pushed past and a familiar face comes out of them… but it’s not Doc or Iskall.

False: Well, you all are not what I expected.

Bdubbs: It’s YOU! Buddy do you _know_ how much of a MESS you’ve caused?!

Keralis looks at Bdubbs and then takes a defensive stance as well.

Keralis: Yeah! Who are you and what’d you do with our peeps?

False frowns, a hand idle on her sword hilt as she looks at them and then to Scar.

False: So uh… when did Area 77 hire the new guys?

Keralis: Scar’s our cool sidekick now. Where’d you put Iskall and Doc, huh?

Scar: Side- I-

Bdubbs takes a step forward.

Bdubbs: You’ve got a LOT of explaining to do, False. You know your little _crew_ or whatever blamed these guys for your disappearance? Cleo’s _angry_ and we didn’t do ‘nothin’-

Cleo: -Not angry, no.

More bushes rustle, and Cleo comes out of the underbrush, holding a machete at the ready.

Keralis: Ack! You! What did you do with Iskall and Doc!

Cleo: Nothing? Oh, I see, you’re just accusing everyone that walks into this clearing. Alright.

At this point False has her sword out and pointed in Bdubbs’ direction, keeping him at a distance.

False: Cleo… would you care to explain what they’re going _on_ about?

Cleo: Earlier this morning, Iskall went out to meet someone in the woods. Apparently Doc. Now they’re, obviously, _not_ in the woods, and a distress flare got sent up, which means… 

False: They’re in trouble… 

False: Scar, Keralis, Bdubbs, I’m gonna need you to put aside whatever your issue with me was for now. We’ve got to find the others. Cleo, you have any idea what might be going on?

Cleo shakes her head slowly, staring at Scar with a strange expression on her face - somewhere between suspicion and confusion.

Scar catches her expression and frowns.

Scar: What? I honestly don’t have any idea what’s going on here either.

Cleo’s expression flattens even more, now closer to apathy than suspicion.

Cleo: No… you’re not very observant, after all.

Scar: Excuse me? You’re the one who blamed us for False’s disappearance when we clearly _didn’t_ know where she went, but _I’m_ the not observant one?

Cleo: At least I _noticed_ my friend vanishing.

Scar frowns, his expression going from confusion to realization to _pure anger_. He takes a step forward towards Cleo, bristling with mostly unseen energy… 

Except small arcs at his fingertips, a vibrant light blue.

Scar: **_What_** _did you do to him?_

Cleo doesn’t move at all, seemingly unthreatened by Scar’s sudden anger. Her expression is still flat, distant even.

Cleo: _Finally…_

Scar: _Cleo_ … I asked you a _question_.

Scar takes another step forward, going to grab for her arm. The anger in his eyes glints like lightning; there’s a very quiet sound like that of crackling skin.

Cleo doesn’t look down at her wrist, or even flinch in the slightest at Scar’s faintly searing grasp. In fact, her expression changes from flat to animated, eyes glinting with some kind of humor.

Cleo: Nothing. He’s just… taking a vacation.

Scar: I don’t think you’re telling the _truth_ , Cleo. _Where is he?_

At this point the surrounding area of the two is thick with static in the air. False’s expression is concerned, but she backs away. There’s nothing she can do in this situation.

Cleo: Falsewell.

Scar: _WHERE_ in Falsewell, Cleo?! What did you do to him?! And don’t even _try_ lying at me, _what is going on with Cub?_

__

Cleo: Probably the museum, nothing you wouldn’t do, and we’re trying to figure that out.

Her expression goes distant once more, eyes fixed intently at a spot on the horizon.

Cleo: He’s in danger. We’re all in danger. I’d hunker down if I were you, because it’s going to be one hell of a storm.

For a moment Scar sees the look in her eyes and frowns, but whatever fleeting moment of confusion or clarity he had is corrupted by the crackling in his head.

Scar: Cleo, I want _solid_ answers. No more of your hogwash. If we’re in _danger_ then we need to know how to prepare. What’s going to happen to him? To us?

Cleo shrugs.

Cleo: That, I don’t know. We don’t usually get to this point. And anyway… 

She grabs Scar - one hand wrapping around the arm he’s holding her by, the other reaching up to yank him forward by the collar. Her gold tooth glints brightly in the sunlight as she speaks.

Cleo: _You shouldn’t ask questions you aren’t prepared for the answers to._

Feed ends.


	11. 4.11

Doc was fast, a dart through the woods back to Area 77. It made sense, though, _he_ knew where he was going. Iskall, well, he didn’t quite have a good grasp on the exact footpath of the woods.

What he _did_ have, which was _way_ better than any map or tracking device, was faintly scorched footprints in the ground leading towards Area 77. Go figure, Cleo hadn’t been completely making things up when she’d said Doc was starting to have “arsonistic tendencies.” He had no idea _why_ Doc was leaving scorch marks as a trail behind him, but he honestly wasn’t going to question it.

Especially not when, after slipping through the remarkably wide-spaced bars into the pseudogovernment facility, he caught a glimpse of Doc’s white labcoat in the distance, a swift flit towards some other section of Area 77. Doc didn’t know he was being followed, or maybe just didn’t care.

Iskall readjusted his flare-gun and followed, keeping to the trees on the outskirts. Doc was headed somewhere into the back of the facility, somewhere fairly overgrown and weedy and likely not commonly-visited.

Something was pounding at the back of his head, like all his displaced sleep catching up with him. He grimaced and unhooked the thermos of phantomward from his belt and braced himself as he took a swig.

He’d gotten mostly used to the taste of it by now, to the point where instead of an assault of slightly unpleasant flavors, it just tasted like very vague day-old black coffee. The sudden jolt of energy, like ice burning through his veins - that was a little more difficult to get used to. It felt like accidentally leaning on an electric fence with his full body weight, like that very specific rush of adrenaline when he was climbing stairs in the dark and expected there to be one more than there was. His head hummed.

...Actually, phantomward didn’t usually do that. He was getting close to wherever Doc had gone, if the strange humming at the back of his head was any sign of getting closer to his… not really _quarry_ if they were on mostly equal footing, but something similar. The point was, Doc didn’t know he was being tailed yet, and Iskall was getting closer.

He pressed his back against a tree trunk and tilted his head around the corner. A flash of weird light - diamonds? He narrowed his eyes and turned further to stare at whatever was causing so much glare, tapping his cybernetic eye and filtering it down as he did so. It wasn’t going to help his unaugmented eye much, but it was better than nothing.

It took him a second to process what he was seeing, probably because it _should not exist_. Doc was standing in front of something, a frame built out of diamonds - three blocks high by one block wide, no corners - and there was a _portal_ in the center, looking like a greyed-out and discolored Nether portal. To call it uncanny was selling it short.

The humming in Iskall’s head was getting stronger and more annoying; it was starting to give him a headache. Whatever this weird thing was, it was _not_ good. He stepped back into the trees as Doc began pacing around the portal, looking from it to the singed notes clutched tightly in his hand and back.

Iskall drew his gun and stepped out of the bushes, leveling it straight at the portal. “Hey, Doc? What the _fuck_.”

Doc whipped around, holding out his hand and immediately summoning his trident towards himself, snapping into a combat stance remarkably quickly. Iskall just stared back at him, gun still pointed at the impossible portal.

“Careful there. Wouldn’t want my finger to slip on the trigger and ruin your hard work on whatever the hell this is.” He cocked his head to the side, choosing to ignore the small line of blue-white fire racing up Doc’s mechanical arm like a gas stove igniting (he could practically _hear_ the clicking if he imagined it hard enough). “Seriously, though, what’s going on here?”

“You shouldn’t be here,” Doc muttered, eyes glinting angrily. Something was… _off_ about him, something more angry than normal. A bit more wild-eyed and murderous than his usual state (which was, admittedly, usually a little bit wild-eyed and murderous).

Iskall stared back at Doc, holding the flare gun steady and even at just the right angle to hit the portal. “Funny thing about that, Doc, I’m pretty sure whatever the hell that portal is _also_ shouldn’t be here.”

A long stretch of silence. It felt like everything had frozen in time, or at least slowed down to a crawl - he held his gun perfectly steady, Doc had his trident evenly leveled, there was no wind blowing, even the flames running along Doc’s arm seemed to be frozen still. Iskall drummed his fingers impatiently against the thermos hooked on his side, still staring at Doc and the strange portal.

Doc flinched, quite visibly at that, and the wind started blowing again. Not that Iskall was paying much attention to the wind aside from how it’d affect his flare’s trajectory.

“You should leave,” Doc said, raising his own free hand to rub one temple.

“And you should start explaining,” Iskall responded evenly, “but somehow I doubt either of us are going to do either of those things.”

His head was humming again. Iskall very slowly and deliberately unhooked the thermos and took another sip from it, not breaking eye contact with Doc the whole time. There was another pause as the humming began to fade, as Doc stared suspiciously at the container and the blurring at the edge of Iskall’s vision started to recede.  


Last standoff, what felt like both mere minutes and literal days ago, Iskall had broken first. This time, it was Doc who sighed and lowered his trident slightly.

“What’s in the thermos?” he asked, the angry glint fading somewhat from his eyes.

“Phantomward. What’s the portal for?”

“I can’t tell you,” Doc said. “It’s not done yet.”

This was going nowhere fast, that much was glaringly obvious to Iskall. Still, if there was even the _slightest_ chance this was connected to the mimickers, he _had_ to ask. There was a reason the phantomward was feeling more and more like fire in his veins right now, he was sure of that much.

“How much work have you put into this thing, Doc? Hours? Days?” Iskall flicked a switch on the flare gun, slowly enough for Doc to register the movement as him turning the safety off. “If you don’t start talking, I’m about to double that workload.”

The blurring at the edge of his vision was creeping back, a vague peripheral fog as Iskall focused in on Doc and the portal, ready for the slightest movement. Honestly, he _hated_ the idea of intentionally messing up something one of his fellow hermits was working on, but the portal was creepy and just plain _not right_ enough that he’d absolutely be willing to explode it to smithereens if he didn’t get to know what it did.

He could see Doc slowly catching on to this fact; could nearly hear the gears turning as Doc’s shoulders sagged and the flames along his arm sputtered out. “Fine.”

Iskall didn’t move his aim away from the portal by even a fraction of an inch. “So…”

“Can you stop pointing the gun at it first?”

Iskall shook his head. “Explanation first, Doc.” He raised one finger back to the safety again, let it hover there for a few seconds before lowering it without doing anything. “Or you explain the rubble instead.”

“At least turn the safety back on?” He could hear vague panic in Doc’s voice, a very soft undercurrent of worry. Whatever this project was, it was important. Iskall rolled his eyes and turned the safety back on again.

“Better?”

“Not by much,” Doc muttered, now fiddling with his trident in both hands. “But fine. I still can’t tell you what it does. I don’t _know_ what it does. I just know it’ll help with this - with all of this, the situation with Kakujo, maybe even Bdubbs, who knows, it could even do something about Cub and Keralis’s missing memories. I think it was something about the portal working as a focal point for-”

He shook his head. "-I'm saying too much."

“I don’t think you’re saying _enough_ ,” Iskall responded, letting his gaze wander just far enough away from the portal to lock eyes directly with Doc. “If you don’t know what it does, why are you building it? How do you know it’ll do something?”

“I can’t say.”

Iskall flicked the safety off again. “Bad answer.”

“Iskall-”

“-Don’t test me, Doc. I’m not going to lose sleep over this if you make me do it. I already _told_ you I don’t sleep.”

Something about Doc’s posture looked nervous, less in an “about to bolt” way and more of a “filled with general nervous energy” way. The glint in his eyes was less anger, more worry now. Iskall turned his line of sight back directly onto the portal. Everything was quiet again.

Doc took a step back towards the portal, trying to block it from Iskall’s line of fire. “They told me to, all right? They said it would fix this. And they’ve never lied before.”

Well, that was… _something_. It was sort of an answer. Unfortunately, it was also an extremely vague and foreboding answer. Iskall sighed, still not taking his eyes off Doc and the portal. “Please don’t tell me you mean the _aliens_ Impulse mentioned.”

“I do.” Doc’s shoulders slumped further. He looked _exhausted,_ though that strange manic glint was coming back to his eyes again. “They said-”

"Aliens told you to build a creepy portal, and you _listened?"_

__

To his surprise, Doc responded to the outburst by holding his hands in the air like he was surrendering, gripping his trident loosely like the only reason he was still holding it was not wanting to drop his favorite weapon on the ground. “They’ve helped me before. Tech projects. An iron farm. Transportation. Other things. There’s no reason they’d lie about this, Iskall, we’re still on the same side-”

Iskall sighed, turning the safety back on the flare gun and pocketing it before taking another swig of phantomward. His head had been pounding this entire time - something was very, _very_ wrong here, and he wasn’t sure what. “We’re not on the same side, Doc. You’ve gone completely off the rails.”

He needed to get out of this clearing. Ask someone with answers what the hell was happening. Grian, maybe. He’d been meaning to talk to Grian about this. The fogginess at the edges of his vision receded again as he took another sip from the canteen. “Whatever you’re doing, I suggest you stop doing it,” Iskall said, turning around to leave. “Because it seems like it’s gonna bite you in the butt.”


	12. 4.12

Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format: Format:

Oop, hang on-⠀

Can you give me a minute? Falsewell feed just shorted out, I’ve gotta fix it or else-⠀

??: Or else _nothing_. Can’t you just smack the commlink against a rock or something, jostle a few wires back into place?

It’s not that simple. Something fried the video array and now the system’s looping back on itself over and over while it tries to reconnect. Infinite bad connection loop.⠀

??: Well, _turn it to audio only_ then. Come _on_.

Format: Format:

Alright, let me just-⠀

Format: Audio feed from surveillance bugs in the forest around Falsewell (video temporarily shorted by Vex surge).

Well, what d’you know, that actually worked.⠀

??: Great, I’m so glad. Now get _moving,_ , we’ve both got places to be.


	13. 4.13

Format: Audio feed from surveillance bugs in the forest around Falsewell (video temporarily shorted by Vex surge).

False: _So_ … This is _fine._

False: Okay… can someone _please_ explain what’s going on now?

Bdubbs: How about _you_ do some explaining, _False_! What- what just happened?! 

A long, awkward pause.

False: Well… I guess Scar and Cleo are heading to Falsewell. Hopefully not to tear the place up.

Keralis speaks up, though quieter than the other two, mumbling his sentence like he’s not really sure he should be saying it.

Keralis: …Sometimes it’s okay not to use wacky powers, he says… 

Bdubbs: I mean about _you_ , False! We can deal with Scar’s tantrum later! ‘Cause technically _you’re_ a part of it, Miss “ _Up and disappear_ ”.

Keralis: -Right, yeah! Why didn’t you stop them?

False: I- I’m _sorry_ , did you want me to grab a live wire? And if your problem is really that I didn’t take action, can’t you be saying the same?

Bdubbs: What? _No!_ You- Keralis- gah!

Bdubbs: I meant _before_ this! The whole shebang that got Cleo and Iskall in an argument with Area 77 in the _first place_!

Keralis: Oh! Yeah! Why’d you vanish, False?

False: I didn’t _vanish_. I got separated from everybody and then Ren showed up and pulled me out of that fog saying he was making sure I wasn’t _killed_.

False: Ended up with Grian and the rest of the hippies for a while, didn’t exactly _want_ to stick around, but Grian made his case.

Bdubbs: _Killed_. What in the world?

A single clap from where Keralis’s voice is coming from.

Keralis: I _knew_ the hippies were up to something! False, on a scale from ten to ten, how suspicious was Grian acting?

False: …Uh, I guess I’d give him a seven? But it wasn’t like he was doing anything malicious, though now I’m _really_ wishing I had been here since _apparently_ you all decided to get into a fight with each other over this.

False: Now, what’s going on? Scar’s clearly angry with Cleo about Cub, Doc’s not with you and neither is that new guy you picked up so can you, _please,_ give me some answers?

Bdubbs: I don’t _know_! I think we’re all a _lot_ lost right now! Yeah, Scar’s off having issues, Doc’s _somewhere_ , and Kakujo got _real_ angry and ran off to who-knows-where! All I know is that I feel like everyone’s gonna get themself in a whole heap of trouble if something doesn’t change soon.

Bdubbs: Why did Grian keep you anyway? I thought the hippies and Falsewell didn’t really care for eachother much.

False: Grian… knows _a lot_. 

A pause.

Keralis: _Liiiike?_

False: Like everything that’s going on in Falsewell, like what _might_ happen and what has and what _will_. He called it loops and that this is the final one and he doesn’t- I don’t think he _can_ risk messing it up, Keralis.

Keralis: _Lööps…_

Keralis: Sorry, sorry, instinctive response, holy moly Grian can _time travel?_

False: I… I guess? I don’t think that’s exactly it, but I… didn’t ask specifics. He seemed really serious about this. Like people are in _actual_ danger.

Bdubbs: …Does anyone else know about this?

False: Impulse. Ren, too, I guess.

Keralis: So Grian’s been acting out the entirety of Groundhog Day with the rest of the hippies or something and that’s not suspicious to you at all?

False: At first it was, but honestly it’s _really_ hard to be phased by a lot of things at this point- uh, Cleo and all.

False: It doesn’t really seem like he’s doing this stuff to hurt anyone? I mean I punched him pretty hard and his only response was that meant we’re on the right track.

Bdubbs: But he never told anybody else? I mean, if he’s _tryin’_ to help out, wouldn’t he… ya know, _tell_ other people? Not just his group of tree-huggers and you?

Keralis: Maybe he thought we wouldn’t believe him?

False: Also, don’t Doc and Scar… not exactly get _along_ with the hippies?

False: I don’t know, maybe I didn’t ask enough questions. I just wanted to get back to Falsewell and deal with whatever is going on with Cub and whatever Cleo is doing _now_.

Keralis: Oh! Yeah, we gotta stop Cleo from collecting and kidnapping the full Vex set!

A pause.

Keralis: …It’s still called a set even if it’s just two of them, right?

Bdubbs: I think it’s called a pair.

Keralis: _Pair_ , okay, got it… We gotta stop Cleo from collecting and kidnapping the full Vex pair!

False: _What?_ No! No, we’re not going after Cleo!

Bdubbs: Why not!? Hasn’t she caused _enough_ trouble? Keralis is right, she _kidnapped_ Cub, who’s to say what she’ll do if she kidnaps Scar!

False: She didn’t _kidnap_ anyone!

Bdubbs: Then WHY is Cub in Falsewell!?

False: Something’s _wrong_ with Cub! Okay?! Something’s up with his memory and I’m not sure _why_ , but I doubt it’s good.

Keralis: Well, Bubbles ‘n’ I have memory gaps _too,_ but you don’t see her kidnapping _us!_ False, we _gotta_ go after her, she’s clearly planning something!

There’s an uncomfortable pause before False speaks, quieter than before.

False: You… you both realize that’s not _good_ , right?

Keralis: No _duh!_ Less talking, more “stopping Cleo from kidnapping all of ConCorp” pwease!

False: _No_ , Keralis! Cleo- as much as she can be slightly dubious in nature- isn’t the _problem_ right now. I don’t think she’s got any reason or want to hurt them.

False: I think they’re going to be _okay_.

Bdubbs: Can you be _certain_ of that, False?

False: _Yeah_ , yeah, I think I very well can.

Keralis: Well, _I’m_ not certain of that, so I’m gonna _go-_

Scuffling noises.

False: _No_ , you aren’t. If I wasn’t clear enough, _leave Cleo alone_.

Bdubbs: Hey! Hey, hey, hey! Let him go!

Bdubbs: Look, I get that maybe _you_ don’t want to get your hands dirty and fix whatever’s going on, but I’d rather not find out Scar and Cub are on a rampage because Cleo pissed them off!

Bdubbs: Or worse! Cleo might do something weird!

False: And I said _no_. Look, Grian said this is the _last_ loop. Cub needs to stay put and I think you both need to stay _out_ of it.

Keralis: And _I_ think _you need to_ _let us help!_

__

There’s silence.

False: _No._

False: I said _no_ , Keralis, and I don’t think you’re _listening to me_.

False: I’m putting my foot down. If you want to go to Falsewell, you’re going to have to go _through_ _me_. And last I checked _one_ of us knows more PVP than the other.

Bdubbs: He’s not alone, False. You’re outnumbered, even if you’re _decent_ at PVP.

Silence, again. Longer this time.

Keralis: …No, we’re goin’ now Bubbles. Sorry for the argument, False.

Bdubbs: _What?_ No! No, we can take her on just _fine_ , Keralis! She’s just being stubborn-

Keralis: -No she’s not. She means it. Let’s go. We can figure out where one of the others went or something.

Bdubbs: I- Keralis- Scar and Cub are in danger and you _know_ that! Why don’t you just do your _thing_ and then we can get them out of there?!

Keralis lowers his voice.

Keralis: I _did!_ It didn’t _work!_ Her mind’s made up and we can’t do anything about it except get ourselves stabbed, let’s _go_ already.

Bdubbs: ... _Fine_. Let’s get out of here, then.

Bdubbs: But, False?

Bdubbs: If you’re wrong about Cleo, don’t you _dare_ forget that we _tried._

__

False: Don’t worry, I’m _not_.

Feed ends.


	14. 4.14

This wasn’t looking good, no matter how you attempted to assess the situation. Second narrator out of commission, no script from Grian yet, Doc off doing _something_ , nobody in their right places, a knock at the door… no, scratch that. Not just a knock at the door. A whole entire Kakujo at the door, if the way the air around the doorframe was wavering happened to be anything to go by. Things just had to keep getting worse for him, didn’t they?

He took a deep breath in, moving out of narration mode and into dealing with Kakujo mode as best he could at short notice. Right. Look presentable. Hide at least some of the setup. There just _had_ to be a visitor now, and it just _had_ to be-

“Ed, I _know_ you’re in there. Open the _door._ ”

“One minute, it’s a mess in here-”

The door abruptly stopped being on its hinges and started being on the ground, thanks largely to Kakujo having kicked it straight out of its frame. Ed sighed.

“Do you have any idea how difficult it is to replace doors?”

“Save it.” To his credit, Kakujo did pick up the completely busted door and awkwardly prop it back up into place, or at least a rough approximation of its place. “I don’t have time to do the usual song and dance, and we already caught up for this world so you’re not gonna do the whole “it’s so nice to see you!” thing either. I’m here for an explanation.”

“About?” He knew what this was about, of course, but it didn’t hurt to stall just a little more, buy some time for _some_ sort of miracle in this absolute shitshow.

Kakujo squinted at him. “Did you just curse in your internal narration?”

“...Maybe. You don’t know that.”

“Great, so on top of everything else I have to yell at you about, I also have to track down the person who taught you how to say curse words.” Kakujo sighed, leaning against the wall.

Ed shook his head silently. As much as he wanted to derail the conversation, it wasn’t worth pursuing this particularly inane train of thought instead. “You wanted an explanation.”

“Keralis. He’s missing memories.”

“I don’t know who that is.” It’d be difficult enough for anyone to meet Kakujo’s eyes, considering he was practically radiating anger. The fact that Ed wasn’t exactly good at eye contact didn’t help his case much, but at least it was somewhat negated by the fact that he _knew_ Kakujo. This was fine. He could still swing this. “Amnesia is awful, and I’m sorry to hear that a friend of yours-”

“-Cut the crap, Ed.” The lights in the room flickered slightly. “I know you’re involved with this. He mentioned a _butcher villager_ to Scar, then didn’t remember that detail when repeated back to him, _and_ there’s a gap in his memories at that time?”

“...I’m a toolsmith, Kakujo.”

“ _Well ya didn’t_ ** _used_** _to be!”_

Kakujo slammed one fist against the wall, hard enough that the door fell over again and the drywall cracked a little bit; he blinked at it, then propped the door back up into place again and went back to glaring at Ed, a weird light in his eyes.

Ed grimaced. This… this really wasn’t going well at all. In fact, the chances of him being able to weasel out of this particular situation were growing slimmer by the second.

“Explanations, Ed. **_Now._** Why did you erase Keralis’s memories?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Well, it’s a good thing we’re not in a _time crunch,_ huh?” Kakujo crossed his arms, still staring, still not breaking eye contact. “Start from the top.”

There really didn’t seem to be any other way out of this except stalling. Stalling until something happened. Maybe his fellow narrator breaking out of the hostage situation, that’d be swell, but he didn’t exactly have the highest hopes.

“Fine.” Ed sat down at a table, gestured for Kakujo to sit down (he didn’t, but he was at least ominously leaning on the chair back across from Ed, and that was _almost_ progress). “I didn’t intend to rope Keralis into all this, Kakujo. I was already here before you were.”

“Why?”

Ed shrugged. “I don’t know. Can’t an archenemy take a vacation every once in a while? ConCorp has decent enough working conditions compared to the alternatives.”

“Oooo _kay_. Let’s say I believe you. You still knew Keralis?”

“He came over every once in a while. Friendly man. Maybe a bit too enthusiastic for his own good, but we got along fine. I didn’t talk about anything sensitive I did, he didn’t talk about anything sensitive he did.” He drummed his fingers against the table. “Then he asked about you. Said he’d heard from someone who’d heard from someone else that you were here. I didn’t want him involved in our… _dynamic_ … so he had to go.”

Kakujo frowned and stared down at the table, furrowing his face. “So you just… erased his memories. Didn’t give him a chance to explain himself, didn’t give him any warning, just wiped his mind clean.”

“Mmh.” Ed rubbed the bridge of his nose with one hand. “It was between that and killing him.”

“Since when were you down with murder, exactly?” Kakujo leaned forward, pushing the chair closer to the table as he just sort of _kept staring._

He looked away. “I don’t want to answer that, Kakujo. The point is that I _didn’t_. Keralis is fine, and you are wasting my time.”

“Wasting your…” Kakujo looked away, back at the door. Ed crossed his fingers behind his back - usually this was a sign that Kakujo was leaving and he could go back to his important business.

“...Time,” he finished, looking back at Ed. Uh oh. “What is _so important_ that you’re trying to hurry me out of the way, _Edward?”_

“None of your business, _Mister_ Kakujo,” he responded icily.

“Nope. Nope, no, not buying it, that’s the “it’s definitely Kakujo’s business and I don’t want to talk about it” tone right there. Ed, _what is going on?”_

He sighed. “Understand that I am speaking sincerely; it would take too long to explain. Time is a fickle mistress and we are not on her good side.”

“Give me the short version then.” Kakujo rubbed his temples, pushing the chair up all the way against the table as he did so.

“There is no short version, and I can’t stall for any longer. Our time is up.”

A knock at the door.


	15. 4.15

Format: Video and audio feeds from Falsewell surveillance cameras.

Cub wanders the museum in silence, watching the walls for anything that’d catch his eye. Sure, he trusts Cleo but he w- ~~_was_~~ ~~h-~~ _had_ been kept captive for the past few days. He wonder ~~_s_~~ _ed_ just how much she’d kept from him even while he was there.

The doors swing open. Cleo, her orange hair smouldering slightly, strides in with a lopsided grin on her face.

Cleo: _Finally_ , I have completed my limited-edition ConVex collector’s set!

Scar: _Where is he?_

Scar is seething, he’s disheveled, he looks like he’s stuck his finger in an electrical socket. The room is laden in static and the present hum grows ever louder.

It reaches its peak when Scar spots Cub.

Cub: Cleo? Scar? Uh… what in the _world-_

Scar practically tackles him in a hug, sending the two stumbling back a few feet.

Scar: _Oh thank god you’re alive_.

Cub: Alive? Y- of course? What _happened_ to you? To Cleo? You both look… awful, no offense.

Scar pulls away and sheepishly looks over at Cleo (who shrugs carelessly, seemingly more interested in watching the door than observing the reunion) and then back at Cub.

Scar: I uh… I may have gotten a _little_ heated.

Scar: In my defense, it’s not everyday you find out someone’s captured your friend and held them hostage.

Cub: …Yeah, Cleo has a bad habit of that, I suppose.

Cub looks over at Cleo flatly and shakes his head.

Cleo: It was _one_ time. Touchy.

Cub: I’m sorry if my disappearance scared you, but I’m alright. Unable to _leave_ , but alright.

Scar frowns.

Scar: Why not?

Cub: You’d have to ask Cleo, she keeps mentioning a storm. I’m… not certain what she’s going on about-

He lowers his voice.

Cub: Or if she’s _okay_. Something’s up, Scar, and I don’t like it one bit.

Cleo tilts her head back.

Cleo: I _heard_ that, yanno.

She shakes her head and goes back to standing at the museum doors, staring out at Falsewell and the setting sun with her lips pursed.

Cleo: Damnit, what’s taking so long… 

Scar: What _exactly_ are you waiting on, Cleo? Why keep Cub locked up here in the first place? Are you going to explain _anything_ yet?

Cleo: No, I’m not gonna.

She steps aside as the doors burst open a second time.

False: Cleo! Iskall! Grian has time travel?!

Cleo’s grin goes from lopsided and ominous to beaming, the most genuinely happy she’s looked for a good week. She pushes her sunglasses up into her hair, gesturing at False.

Cleo: _She_ is, though.

False pauses, looking over at Cleo and then to the ConVex.

False: Uh… am I… interrupting? Something?

Cleo: Nope! Well, nothing you’re not _supposed_ to interrupt, anyway. Carry on, Madame Mayor.

False: Oh- _blimey-_ not _you_ too, Cleo?! Really?!

Cub: Grian has _what?_

__

Cleo: I believe the exact wording False used was “time travel.”

Cub: No, I _heard_ her just fine. But what do you _mean_ , False? How…

False: Not the first problem to address! _Cleo_.

False turns to face her, a frown tight on her face.

False: You _kidnapped_ Cub?

Cleo: More like a temporary rehoming. And hey, Grian kidnapped _you_ , so we’re basically square.

Scar: Neither of us work with Grian! And _you_ accused _us_ of kidnapping False! You _liar!_

False: I disappear from town for a few _days_ and you upheave the law and order of things?! Cleo!

Cleo grins.

Cleo: Ain’t I a stinker?

She shakes her head, expression turning serious.

Cleo: Look, things’re about to pop off. Grian should’ve told you as much. And these two need to be here when the storm rolls in. So, well… it only made sense. I did what I had to.

Cub: You know you could have just _asked_. 

Cleo shakes her head.

Cleo: You didn’t believe me. Got gnawed on by a mimicker before I could explain that nighttime in Falsewell is dangerous.

Scar: I’m sorry, _what?_

Cub: That… didn’t happen. I’m pretty sure I’d _know_ if that happened.

False: No- yeah- Cleo, you’ve also got time travel, huh? You care to explain _that_ , at least?

Cleo: Hm… nah.

False: Right! Okay! _Fine_. So Cub and Scar need to stay here for… _something_ , which you know because _something_ , and Grian knows a _lot_ and also won’t say. Wonderful.

False: You mind at least telling these two why you _lied_ about who kidnapped me? 

Cleo: Literally just did that, yeah.

Scar groans and buries his head in his hands.

Scar: You know… I thought Area 77 was bad, but this is just awful.

Cub: Try having to live here for a few days. At least Iskall is a little better, though… he doesn’t seem all that healthy as of late.

False: Where… where is Iskall?

Cleo grimaces.

Cleo: That… I don’t know. He went out into the woods for a meeting with someone, I assume Doc, and never came back. He’s not _dead_ , but he hasn’t reported in since and there’s a flare up over the forest, which makes me think he’s busy with something _very_ important right about now.

Cub: I’d assume he’s meeting with Grian, though I suppose you would know that.

Cleo blinks.

Cleo: Wait. You think Grian and I are working together?

False: I mean… to be _fair_ , Cleo, you both have weird time powers? So I’d put money on Cub’s bet.

Cleo: You would lose that money. He is not exactly my biggest fan at the moment and will probably continue disliking me until this storm of the century finally blows over.

Scar: I don’t blame him. You’re not exactly the picture of “easiest to work with”.

False: Regardless of who works with who, shouldn’t we try to get in touch with Iskall? What if he’s hurt?

Cleo shakes her head slowly.

Cleo: No… he’s where he needs to be right now. He _has_ to be.

Cub frowns and he can’t help but shiver at the feeling that crawls up his spine.

Cub: Hey, Cleo?

Cub: I don’t know where Joe went.

Cleo: Oh. Oh, that’s… _hm_. Didn’t say where he was going at all?

Cub: He went to his hotel room to get something, but he didn’t come back… 

Cub: Cleo, you remember when I mentioned having deja vu? 

She nods silently, expression grim.

Cub: It’s gotten a _lot_ worse.

Scar: Deja vu? For what?

False: Cub’s been dealin’ with a case of lost memory for a little while now. I was kind of hoping you’d have something more to go off of with that when I actually managed to get back here, Cleo.

Cleo shakes her head; she’s staring out the door again with that same half-blank expression on her face.

Cleo: …One hell of a storm indeed, then… 

False frowns and gently grabs Cleo’s shoulder.

False: Cleo? You alright?

Cleo shrugs weakly and doesn’t answer.

Scar is silent for a moment and then sighs.

Scar: Look, I can’t speak for the rest of Area 77… but I think, maybe, we need to put our differences aside and figure out what in the world is going on _together_.

Scar: Cub’s not the only one missing memories and Cleo doesn’t look like she’s doing the greatest and honestly? Neither am I.

Scar: We’ve done a lot of fighting and figured nothing out. Maybe it’s time we change our strategies. We need a new plan of attack.

False: …I think you’re right. And the same, possibly, to the Hippies. I know you two _really_ didn’t get along, but… Grian does know more than the rest of us.

Cub: Okay, but can we leave to meet up with them? Cleo keeps going on about needing to _be_ here for… _something_. What’s the plan? We can’t just run head first into this or we’ll get ourselves killed.

Cleo shakes her head slowly, her eyes clearing.

Cleo: Right. We’re going to need to stay here for now. False, pick someone to go on mimicker duty and I’ll stay with the other person in the museum. Tonight’s going to get nasty and we’re going to need to hold down this fort right here like it’s a nuclear assault bunker.

False: …I’ll go alone. You stay here with ConCorp and keep the doors shut. You know the drill. If you hear me, don’t you _dare_ open that door. I’ll be back at sunrise.

Cleo: You sure?

False takes out her sword and leans it against her shoulder with a small smirk.

False: Certain.

Cleo nods, then cracks her knuckles.

Cleo: Right then. Scar, Cub, finish what catching up you need to do. I’m going to have to haul some stuff out from the basement so you two will have time to yourselves. I’ll fill you all in on the next leg of the plan then.

Cleo: False - don’t forget your radio, I’m going to need to call you back into the museum or at the very least close to it before the sun rises, and I’m going to need immediate confirmation before I do that. As usual, I’ll also be on intel if you need mimicker whereabouts. We might be seeing more than one at a time tonight.

False: Sounds like a game plan! I’ve got the radio on my belt, don’t worry. Just don’t blow anything up while I’m gone.

False opens the doors and leaves, shutting them tight behind her.

Scar: You… need any help with moving things, Cleo?

Cleo: Not yet. I’ll let you know if I need help. In the meantime… it’s not sunset yet, but no opening doors for people who sound suspiciously like anyone you know, and I mean _anyone_ you know. Got it?

Scar nods.

Scar: Got it. I’ll keep my eyes on Cub, then.

Cub: I can take care of myself, you know?

Scar: Then we’ll keep an eye on each other!

Cleo: Good.

Feed ends.


	16. 4.16

Format: Audio and video feed from bugs in forest between hippie camp and Falsewell.

Rustling noises as Iskall, face grim, makes his way through the forest as quietly as possible. Occasionally he stops moving entirely, hand hovering over his flare gun as he looks around before continuing forward.

A twig snaps; he doesn’t even turn around to face the noise.

Iskall: Alright, I’m definitely being followed. Who is it and why.

Keralis: It’s me and also pwease don’t stab me with your gun.

Iskall narrows his eyes.

Iskall: You can’t… stab people… with guns. Anyway, are you _actually_ Keralis, or some mimicker? They really like pretending to be you these days.

Keralis: If I’m a mimicker then I’m a pretty bad one considering I just got caught. No, I think we’re just heading to the same place. Hippie camp?

Iskall nods solemnly.

Iskall: I have some _questions_ that I need to ask Grian.

Keralis: So do I! Stuff like “why are you time travelling” and “what’s Cocky Joe’s deal,” right?

Iskall snorts and shakes his head slowly.

Iskall: No, not really. More like… what he knows about Area 77 and whatever the hell Doc’s doing. I frankly don’t care about what Kakujo is at this point, and while the time travel’s worrying… well, it’s always _something_ with Grian.

A pause.

Iskall: Although since you’re even newer than him, I guess you wouldn’t know that. Anyway, it’s always something with Grian - before this, it was the house competition and Sahara, before that it was him playing around at being a detective, and before _that_ there was the whole civil war he helped escalate.

Iskall smiles smugly.

Iskall: …Though I did _also_ escalate that in revenge for him escaping my assassination attempt, so I suppose all’s fair.

Keralis: I understood none of that, but okay!

Iskall: Definitely not a mimicker, then.

Keralis puffs out his cheeks as he trails behind Iskall. They’re closer to the camp now - lights can be seen in the distance.

Keralis: You better not be implying that my incompetence is what separates me from a… from whatever a mimicker is.

Iskall: It’s actually the general air of cluelessness that has me convinced. Incompetence is far more easily faked.

Keralis: Gee, thaaaaanks.

Keralis: Anyway, how’d your little meeting with Doc go?

Iskall squints at the forest ahead of them.

Iskall: And you knew about that how?

Keralis: Oh, I was in Area 77 when Doc mentioned he got a message to meet in the Falsewell woods and I figured it’d be the scary guy with the gun what wanted to meet up with him.

Iskall: I’m going to take that as a compliment.

Keralis: Wasn’t meant to be one, but okay! Anyway, what’s Doc up to?

Iskall grimaces.

Iskall: Being really shady about some freaky portal that can be used to connect with aliens or whatever. Well, I had to wring that out of him. And that was _after_ Impulse showed up with the bazooka…

Keralis: The hippies have heavy artillery?

Iskall: Yeah, it’s Grian alongside Ren and Impulse, I dunno what you expected. They probably won’t shoot us on sight.

Keralis: Probably. Oh that’s _sooo_ reassuring, make sure to put _that_ on my gravestone.

Iskall shrugs.

Iskall: Dumb epitaph, but very well.

Iskall: Anyway, we’re here. Straight shot across this stretch of forest to the camp, so if you want to back out now this is your last chance to do so.

Keralis shakes his head slowly as Iskall turns back to look at him.

Keralis: Uh, I don’t think I can back out now after all.

Iskall: Why not?

Keralis: Grian with a bazooka is why not.

Iskall turns around slowly - sure enough, there’s Grian, flower crown pulled low over his eyes, leaning on a bazooka and staring straight at the two of them.

Grian: Well, at the risk of sounding clichéd, good evening gentlemen! I’ve been expecting you.

Keralis mumbles something under his breath about _freaking time travelers_. Iskall ignores him.

Iskall: Grian, we have to talk.

Grian: Boy howdy, do we! Now follow me, you’re gonna want to see this next part happen live.

Feed ends.


	17. 4.17

We set the unfortunate scene like this.⠀

Grian leads Iskall and Keralis back to the camp, where Impulse stands guard at one of the camper doors. Everyone’s faces are grim. Iskall and Keralis have been asking plenty of questions, but they’ve been getting no answers.⠀

Over in Falsewell, the sun starts to set. False twirls her sword, a nervous tic if you know her well and a show of strength if you don’t. Cleo’s words are still ringing in her head - _tonight’s going to get nasty_ , she’d said, and Cleo doesn’t say that for no reason. She’s ready for a fight.⠀

Inside the museum, Cleo herself hauls up a strange box from the basement, assisted by both Scar and Cub. The ConCorp duo look sideways at each other when they think she isn’t looking - they don’t trust her, not yet. Too many loose ends for any businessman to trust. The air smells faintly of ozone and magical residue. The box smells like nothing, which is somehow more worrying.⠀

Kakujo and Ed’s sordid reunion is brought to a halt as Bdubbs literally knocks the door down, which is less of a feat than it normally would be since Kakujo had already busted it off its hinges upon his own entry. What little chance of the situation calming down is entirely erased as Bdubbs catches sight of Kakujo and Ed and starts yelling, interrogating both men from a place somewhere between the worried cadence of a friend and the exasperated tones of someone who is sick to death of nobody explaining anything to him. Kakujo does his best to answer the questions as neutrally as possible, but there are vines starting to grow into the small cottage and it’s starting to feel pretty dang cramped.⠀

Doc is left alone by his Infinity Portal, the project that the aliens promised him would fix everything. He double-checks the blueprints he’d drafted up from Grian’s time machine in secret against the inner workings of the portal. He can’t shake the feeling that something’s missing, but he brushes it off - it’s his nerves getting to him, it _has_ to be. He flicks the lever.⠀

Fog pours out.⠀

Doc recoils in shock as the fog envelops him, clinging to every inch of his body and tugging him forward. His foot hits the very edge of the Infinity Portal before he bursts into flames, burning away the fog around him. Nobody sees his panic. Nobody is there for the realization he comes to, that whatever happens next is _his fault_. He has one chance to warn everyone; he raises one palm to the sky and sets off a flare, supercharged with heat.⠀

Cleo sees flames on the horizon and frantically gestures for Scar to hand her the radio he’s been standing next to; he fumbles it just slightly but hands it over. She radios False, who answers between sword slashes. Their conversation is brief, and less than a minute later False is at the doors to the museum, a grim expression on her face and blood on her hands. Cleo welcomes her in, giving a curt nod to Scar and Cub, who step towards the door as one unit, eyes glowing with blue light, ready to take their shift on defense.⠀

The fog rushes past Bdubbs, who doesn’t even seem to register what’s happening until it coils around Kakujo, finding its mark at last. His knees weaken and he grimaces, eyes flaring with light. Ed steps back as Kakujo sways and falls to the ground with a heavy _thud_ , unmoving; the fog thickens around him, trying to drag him through the door, but it can’t - the room is thick with plant life. Bdubbs grabs Kakujo’s arm, yells for Ed to grab the other one, and they pull back against the fog as vines begin lashing around the doorframe, forming a new barrier.⠀

Over at the hippie camp-⠀

Grian: Enough talking. We have a camp to defend.

⠀...Oh. Grian. I suppose that’s why you wanted me here, isn’t it?⠀

Grian: Part of the script. You know how it is.

Evidently.⠀

I can’t help but notice that you’re still standing in between me and the doorway, which isn’t exactly conducive to me helping you defend the camp.⠀

I’m guessing you have something else for me to say?⠀

Grian: Your usual spiel. With a bit more information. No secrets heading into the finale, , alright?

⠀...Well. I suppose so.⠀

Howdy y’all. Joe Hills here, your humble narrator.⠀

Feed ends.⠀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that's that, folks! this was uploaded to AO3 on 02/23/2021, and took about half an hour of editing once more! not bad considering this fic's length! with this, we're actually caught up to the main-series fics that have been written so far (shocking, i know!), but if you want more 77-2 content there's a secret lighthearted minific you can find on my Tumblr (@betweenlands) right now, along with links to the Google Docs versions!
> 
> also yes, you read that right. 77-2 is now up to date on AO3, mostly thanks to the program AOYeet (which still doesn't technically help with font changes, but work-arounds exist)!
> 
> thanks for joining me on this ride! next fic's gonna be a doozy and we haven't even started writing it yet, so you KNOW it's gonna be something else. i suppose a title drop is only fair, though - the final fic in the series will be titled "(ticks) to midnight" and we expect it to be the longest 77-2 fic yet.
> 
> that's it for now. as always, be gay do minecraft!


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